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Practical information for Erasmus students at KUL

1. Accommodation

In order to receive assistance with accommodation, students coming for the 1st semester or whole academic year, should contact our Erasmus Office as soon as possible. Any requests concerning accommodation after 20 May might not be met due to a limited number of vacancies. In case you are selected as an Erasmus student after May, 20 or you will contact us later, your ‘guardian angel’ will provide you with necessary information and help you find a suitable place to stay.

Private dormitories

  • single rooms only, kitchens and bathrooms are shared by 4-5 persons
  • Internet access available
  • price – around 140 EUR per month plus around 140EUR of refundable deposit
  • in close vicinity of KUL
  • the number of places is limited; please contact the Erasmus Office as soon as possible for more details

Please note that in order to book a room for the first semester or the whole academic year you are obliged to pay a non-refundable reservation fee (approx. 150EUR). The confirmation of the booking is sent at the end of June.

University dormitories

  • double or triple rooms only
  • Internet connection in the room available
  • the code of conduct is rather strict (e.g. the entrance is closed at 11 p.m., no overnight visits are allowed)
  • location - around 15 minutes by bus from the city centre, very close to the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and KUL’s Sports Centre
  • price - around 90 EUR per month
  • the number of places limited; please contact the Erasmus Office as soon as possible for more details

Private flats

  • there is also a possibility of renting a room or a flat in different parts of the city; the prices range from 100 EUR to 250 EUR for a single room depending on the standard, location and distance from the university
  • we can provide you with a list of some available rooms with prices, photos, conditions, etc. but our university assumes no responsibility for privately arranged accommodation
  • if you want to find a private room/flat, your ‘guardian angel’ will help you look for it

Some links with rooms/flats to rent:

Useful tips:

Arrive some time in advance in order to find a suitable place as there are more and more students every year in Lublin.

If you need temporary accommodation, contact the Erasmus Office and you will receive addresses of cheap hostels and hotels.

RULES OF CONDUCT:

  • please remember to get to know all the conditions and fees
  • you are also responsible for keeping your place in order
  • if you want to organize a party, please keep in mind that your neighbours may not like it! In Poland there are quiet hours from 22:00 (10 p.m.) till 6:00 (6 a.m.) – no loud music or noises are allowed then
  • if you damage something, you will have to repair it or buy a new one

2. Residence permit regulations

If you are an EU citizen you can enter Poland with your ID document (a valid travel document e.g. passport, or another document certifying your identity and citizenship). Students from Turkeywill need a visa and a passport.

Foreign students who stay in Poland for more than three months continually (without leaving Poland during that period) are obliged to register at:

Residents Affairs Bureau

20-071 Lublin

14 Wieniawska St., desks 17, 18 (1st floor)

Telephone: 081466 10 02

3. Arrival

There are several options to travel to Lublin depending on the country where you come from.

Plane

If you decide to travel by plane, you should choose one of the following airports

  • LublinAirport (first flights as from December 2012)
  • Warsaw Okęcie
  • Warsaw Modlin (WarsawModlinAirport operates Ryanair and Wizzair airlines)
  • Rzeszów Jasionka
  • Kraków Balice

The distance between Lublin and the cities is quite long, this is why you will have to take a bus or train to get to Lublin.

Train

All trains coming to Lublin stop at the Lublin Main Railway Station (Lublin Główny). The Railway Station is located inDworcowy Square (Plac Dworcowy) and you will have to take a trolleybus, bus or a taxi to get to the city centre.

Other railway stations in Poland:

Warsaw (WARSZAWA CENTRALNA)

A journey from Warsaw to Lublin by train takes approx. 2 hours.

Kraków (KRAKÓW GŁÓWNY)

A journey from Cracow to Lublin by train takes approx. 4,5 hours.

Rzeszów (RZESZÓW GŁÓWNY)

A journey from Rzeszów to Lublin by train takes approx. 3 hours.

For further information and timetables consult the website:

Bus

There is also a good network of buses from Warsaw, Rzeszów and Kraków to Lublin. Please consult the websites for further information:

There is a direct bus Lublin <-> Okęcie Aiport operated by CONTBUS.

Consult the website for timetable

Students can be collected from the bus or railway station in Lublin. They have to inform their ‘guardian angels’ in advance about the exact time of arrival.

Remember that you can always ask your ‘guardian angel’ for help if you have any problems or doubts 

4. Weather

Poland has a moderate climate with chilly winters and pleasant, mild summers. July is the warmest month with average temperature 20°C . During the winter the average temperature is about -3°C . You should be prepared that winter in Poland can be really freezing, with temperatures occasionally dropping even to -20°C and a lot of snow.

Month / Jan / Feb / Mar / Apr / May / Jun / Jul / Aug / Sep / Oct / Nov / Dec
Average temperatures in °C / -3° / 1° / 5° / 11° / 15° / 18° / 20° / 19° / 14° / 10° / 5° / 1°

5. Board

The university canteen(located at Aleje Racławickie 14) offers lunches from 11.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. at about 55 EUR per month. You can also buy individual meals (about 2-4 EUR a meal). The university cafeteria is famous for delicious and cheap typical Polish food such as pierogi, kopytka, bigos, pyzy, naleśniki and many others.

There are also lots of bars and restaurants situated next to the campus, such as 1eden, Aviator, Quatro, to name just a few of them.

6. Local transport

Lublin has a good network of buses and trolleybuses which connects the city centre (where the KUL’s main building is situated) with all parts of the city. Tickets are available at newsagents’, from bus drivers or tickets machines (e.g. at KUL – entrance to the John Paul II Collegium). As a student, you will have discounts for short-term and long-term tickets, providing you have a valid Student Identity Card. It will be issued within the first weeks of your stay at KUL. Keep in mind that if you don’t have a validated ticket with a Student Identity Card, you will be punished with a fine.Before you get a Student Identity Card (Legitymacja studencka), it is recommended to buy tickets without a discount.

We advise buying a monthly or quarterly pass. You can get it from a ticket machine (next to KUL). They are also available from the Office of Public Transport at Kraśnicka Street 25 and Przystankowa Street 1 and in one of the following spots:

Price: 0,5 EUR for a student one-way ticket; 0,7 EUR for one way-ticket without a student discount; 10 EUR for a student monthly ticket (valid only with your Student Identity Card and only if you are not older than 26 years old).

The official site of the public transport in Lublin:

You can pick up a taxi either from a taxi rank or by calling a taxi service (e.g. (+48)814444444, 8119628, 8119621, 8119622, 8119665). Of course, tariffs vary but it can amount up to approx. 20 ~ 30 zlotys within the city.

7. Health and insurance

Each student is required to have a health insurance policy (e.g. European Health Insurance Card - EHIC) and accident insurance for the entire duration of your stay in Poland.

A holder of the European Health Insurance Card will receive free health services at health care providers who have signed a relevant contract with NFZ (National Health Found). You can receive health services in the following areas: primary health care, specialist out-patient care, hospital treatment, dental treatment, rescue services and ambulance transport.

More information about health service in Poland can be found at the following websites:

- in Polish, other languages - bottom of the page,

- in English

Health services for KUL students are provided by the Academic Health Centre, Aleje Racławickie 14, 20-950 Lublin, tel. 081 743 33 97.

Opening hours:

Monday – Friday 8.00-18.00

Disabled students may contact Students with Disabilities Office:

Tel. +48 81 445 32 03

Office hours:

Monday – Thursday 10.00 – 13.00(not open on Friday)

room C-206 (John Paul II Collegium building)

8. Cost of living

It is difficult to give a precise estimate of how much money you will need, partly because much depends on your own circumstances and lifestyle. Here, you have a list of approximate prices of some basic products:

loaf of bread 0,75 EUR

milk 0,60 EUR

chocolate 0,75 EUR

a student meal 2-3 EUR

a cup of coffee 1-2 EUR

bus ticket 0,5 EUR

taxi around the city 5 EUR

accommodation 90-200 EUR (per month)

9. Banks and money

In order to open a bank account you will need a passport and a Student Identity Card. Most banks are open from 8.00/9.00 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday.

You can change money in banks or exchange offices (kantory). Changing money in exchange offices might be more advantageous to you as all banks charge commission.

Another possibility is to open a bank account in your home country and use your credit card for withdrawing money in Poland as cash dispensers (ATMs) are at your disposal all around the city. MasterCard and Visa are common in Poland. Remember that your local bank may charge fees for use of cash dispensers in other countries.